


Burden

by resjade



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, F/M, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-03-09 18:47:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18922921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/resjade/pseuds/resjade
Summary: In an age of mental health crises, Lyrium is the miracle drug: an all-in-one dose that adapts to the needs of the patient's brain without any known physical side effects, save for the crippling and near fatal withdrawal associated with its use. Despite its celebration and success, recent studies suggest the unprecedented drug could be even better. Ellana Lavellan has been hired by SkyHold Industries to help develop a highly complex, potent form of Lyrium that promises to do more than its predecessor. Working under the supervision of the head scientist, a man known only as Solas to his colleagues, Ellana finds herself strangely drawn to the academic who is as mysterious as he is intriguing. It is only after the discovery of a lab notebook with what appears to be the scribblings of a researcher gone mad, along with Solas' increasingly erratic behaviour, does Ellana begin to suspect there may be more to SkyHold than what its surface suggests.





	1. Welcome to SkyHold

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so, I guess I'll mention that I'm writing this to play with some themes and indulge my thoughts and theories about some of the DA lore, and of course to squeeze those Solavellan feels out. I'd also like to apologize in advance for not updating as frequently as I'm sure many of you would like. However! I do have the story entirely planned out in a word document so I can promise there will be an end!
> 
> If you'd like a visual, I'm basing much of this Ellana's appearance off of Colette, with some modification (I realize she's not Dalish, but she's an elven researcher at the University which I thought was neat).
> 
> Update: July 2019 - Now with chapter cover art that I shamelessly ripped off of Ozark! The illustrations will give clues as to what is important in each separate chapter. I'll be posting the art on [my blog](http://www.tumblr.com/blog/resjade) under the #burden tag a few days before publishing the associated chapter, that way if you enjoy trying to predict what will happen you can do so ;) Let me know if they're hard to see and I can do a zoomed-in cut.

 

* * *

" _This_ is SkyHold, the forefront of Lyrium research?" Ellana muttered as she stepped in from the cold, stomping the snow from her boots onto the rigid, salt-encrusted carpet. As she walked deeper within the outdated facility under its glaring fluorescent lights and past old wooden doors, her eyes skimmed over the gaudy numbered placards, searching for 0941D. "It's right in the middle of the Ingenuity District and it looks like this?” Ellana continued, talking to herself, “I hope the equipment isn't as outdated as the infrastructure - ah," she said, stopping in front of a set of double doors that led into another hallway. As she pushed through the doors, she noted that particular area of the building appeared a little more modern and clean, but still not as new and shiny as she had expected, and, possibly, had hoped.

            "You made it!" A cheerful and familiar voice called out from within a room to the left of the hall, and Ellana looked up. Josephine rose from her desk and slid past oddly placed office furniture and stacks of books and papers to greet the new recruit. Ellana had Skyped with the hiring manager on several occasions, and she was even more luminous in person. Her bright yellow satin blouse contrasted almost jarringly against the indifferent grey and white of her environment, the warmth of her skin unyielding to the paling light. "Welcome to SkyHold," Josephine gushed, taking Ellana's hand with her smooth, perfectly manicured ones. Citrus-scented perfume wafted from her wrists and neck with every enthusiastic oscillation. "Did you find us alright? I apologize for the state of the rest of the building, this is actually a bit of a new set up for us and we're working on having some renovations done."

            "Ah I see," Ellana replied, glancing around at her surroundings. "Getting here was fine, thanks."

            "Excellent!" Josephine smiled, whirling back towards her office and beckoning Ellana to come with her. "First we need to get you security access, and then you'll be all set to make your way to the labs and associated offices where the head scientist can get you set up," She spoke quickly with a slight accent hailing from somewhere in Antiva, her polished nails clicking on the keyboard. "I'm sorry he never managed to have a conversation with you directly, he's a bit...well, he likes to leave that sort of thing to me."

            "Right," Ellana said slowly and deliberately as she folded her arms across her chest, her brows furrowed in slight worry about the apparent attitude of her unknown supervisor. After a minute, a noise from the computer drew her attention back to more immediate concerns.

            "There you are," Josephine chirped as she handed a card across the table. "You have temporary access for now, until we get your permanent profile set up. Tap the card against the keypad to get through that next set of double doors, and Solas' office is the second on the right."

            "Okay, thank you,” Ellana said as she received the small piece of plastic. “Solas is...?"

            "The head scientist," Josephine replied with a lighthearted chuckle.

            Ellana felt a slight flush across her cheekbones as she received the ID tag. "Of course, thank you," She mumbled, quietly stepping out of the entrance hall and through the secure doors.

            Neither number nor title graced the wall near the second door on the right; the outward appearance of the office was so obscure it could have belonged to just about anyone, status notwithstanding. Ellana hesitated, but knocked lightly after seeing the movement of a figure inside mottle the light through the textured glass window in the door. A curt, muffled, "Yes," came from behind the window, and Ellana turned the knob, surprised to find the office unlocked. A thin, bald man in his early forties sat at a computer behind a large carved wooden desk, wearing an expression of slight surprise beneath the usual low-grade, perpetual exhaustion Ellana was so accustomed to with his type.

            "Ah, you must be Ms. Lavellan," He said, standing up in the warm light of his office to greet his new subordinate. A cold, dry, and slightly bony hand briefly closed around Ellana's before he swept back to his chair and invited her to sit down on the other side of his desk. "I suppose you'll be requiring assistance in becoming familiar with the lab and office spaces," He continued in an accent that sounded familiar, but one that Ellana couldn’t quite place.

            "Yes, I imagine I need some amount of training specific to your lab," Ellana replied, sitting down in front of him and folding her hands neatly in her lap.

            "Well, it is not _my_ lab by strict definition," Solas smirked, his slightly drooping eyes crinkling with quiet amusement. His smile faded as quickly as it had appeared. "I only work here, same as you. Now then, before I am allowed to pay you, I will need you to sign a non-disclosure agreement. I believe I have a copy or two here..."

            Solas turned his wiry frame downwards to rummage through the lowest drawer of his filing cabinet, the cream-coloured wool of his sweater all but disappearing from Ellana's view. His brief distraction allowed his new hire an opportunity to take in the various items dotting his office. A few small hand-carved animal sculptures were scattered about on shelves and along the windowsill, one of a wolf sat nearest to its owner. As she turned her head to observe the walls, Ellana noted that it was a bit odd her supervisor didn't have any framed qualifications or diplomas proudly hung on display.

            Instead, several raw canvas paintings that were clearly all completed by the same artist took the place of the usual academic accessories. They had been unassuming and barely noticeable at first, but now that she actually really looked at them, Ellana couldn't help but be drawn in by the defined perspective, saturated colours and expansive composition. Harsh, bright hues contrasted against dark voids. The shadowy profile of a man climbing from an abyss towards a matronly light, several figures gathered around something glowing-

            "Here we are," Solas announced, popping back up with several documents. Ellana snapped her head back around to face him. “Please read through the instructions thoroughly, and sign it when you are ready. You are more than welcome to take it home with you to ensure you understand everything. I do not wish for you or I to get into any amount of trouble.”

            “I’ll just take them with me,” Ellana said, grabbing the papers and quickly sliding them into a compartment of her messenger bag. “Why don’t you show me what I’ll be working on, specifically? I only have a general idea of what’s expected of me.”

            “Yes, certainly,” Solas said, standing abruptly and striding out of his office in a few swift steps. Surprised by his hasty movements, Ellana quickly rose and hurried after Solas down the hallway, towards the secure lab. “I take it you haven’t worked with Lyrium before?” He asked, turning his head slightly so that Ellana could hear him, but could not see more of his face than the corner of his eye.

            “Not Lyrium, no, but I’ve worked with other pharmaceuticals,” Ellana offered with some hesitation. “I do know that I’ll be helping develop a new version of it,” She said as she caught up with Solas and looked up at him expectantly.

            “No,” The head scientist replied brusquely, and Ellana’s face dropped ever so slightly. “The new version has been established for some time now, but it has not been used in any meaningful _in vitro_ studies as of yet. That’s where you come in.”

            “So I’ll be testing how this drug interacts with neuronal cells, then?”

            “Precisely,”

            “I’m surprised nobody has done this yet,” Ellana mused.

            “Our only other competitor has not yet determined the formula,” Solas replied as he pressed his worn wallet against the keypad and opened the door for Ellana.

            “Would that be Tevinter Inc?”

            “Indeed. Now, let me show you a sample of the updated Lyrium.”

            The laboratory appearance was modern standard: black benchtop, pressboard cupboards, linoleum floor and the rubber-topped adjustable stools that always broke with enough use. After donning a pair of disposable gloves, Solas walked to the end of the row of benches where he opened a freezer door and produced a metal container with a number of warning labels on the outside. Inside the container was a small glass vial wrapped in absorbent paper. He held out the vial for Ellana to observe.

            “It’s…red,” She said, squinting at the minute volume of viscous fluid between Solas’ forefinger and thumb. Some of the Lyrium had precipitated into small crystals at the bottom of the vial.

            “It is also quite dangerous,” Solas stated, placing the vial back into its larger, protective casing and tucking it away in the freezer.

            “So I assume the red isn’t just a pH indicator, then,” Ellana said as she loosened her rust-coloured scarf to relieve some of the intense heat trapped by her down jacket.

            “No, it is not, and unfortunately I am unable to reveal just how it gets such a hue. Ah, you must be getting rather warm in here. Let me show you to your office so you can deposit your belongings, and we can continue the tour.”

            After striding back into the main hallway, Solas produced a key and opened the door to an office situated diagonally across from his own, slightly closer to the lab, and beside a door with a darkened interior. Ellana’s new workspace looked almost identical to that belonging to her boss, minus the personalized additions, and appeared to have been previously occupied, if the coffee stain on the carpet and remnants of marker on the whiteboard were any indication.

            “Here you are, meet me back in the lab when you are ready,” Solas said, handing Ellana the key and walking away before she could respond with a simple thanks. She hastily tucked her messenger bag away under the desk, re-tightened the elastic in her hair, and hung her coat on the rack before letting out an apprehensive sigh and returning to her workspace-to-be.

            A few brief minutes later, and with a notebook in hand, Ellana walked back to the lab to find Solas in a smaller room adjacent to the large main one, hunched over a microscope. An olive-skinned woman with dark hair sat behind him and had her arms inside an enclosed metal box with a glass cover, uncapping cell growth flasks with one hand and adding fluid into them with the other.

            “When red Lyrium is applied to the rat neuronal cells, they show initial marked improvement in growth and cell-cell communication,” Solas said, shifting the culture flask about on the microscope stage and adjusting the light source. “However, after a few days, they all die, regardless of dose. Nothing about the formula of red Lyrium suggests it should be harmful, yet not a single cell we’ve used so far seems to be able to survive it.”

            “What makes it so much better than regular Lyrium, then?” Ellana asked as she scribbled down several notes, her face drawn into a slight frown. “Why bother trying to fix something that isn’t necessarily broken?”

            “I am sure you are well aware that normal Lyrium is highly addictive-“ Solas replied, “-physiologically, that is, I do not believe anybody craves it specifically,” he continued, removing the flask and turning off the microscope. “The end goal of this project is to create a product that does what Lyrium does, but with a single dose. This would remove any risk associated with addiction and withdrawal.” Ellana stopped writing and looked up, still frowning.

            “But the brain is so dynamic, how could one dose possibly allow a person to be set for life?”

            “Only certain regions of the brain are able to undergo synthesis of new cells,” A heavy Orlesian accent answered. The female technician had finished her work and now turned around on her stool to fix her large luminous eyes on Ellana’s darker ones. “Red Lyrium will target the parts of the brain that do not show regenerative potential. In doing so, the patient will be able to rewire their brain without the need for other external stimuli.”

            “In other words, it is almost as if one may grow a new brain, a brain that functions the way you want it to,” Solas continued as he closed the door on the cell incubator, “at least in theory. Ah, I am sorry,” He said, straightening and giving his head a slight shake. “This is Briala, the lead technician here. You will occasionally be sharing some space, so I suppose introductions are in order.”

            “Nice to meet you,” Ellana said, offering an extended hand.

            “A pleasure,” Briala responded, her cat-like eyes narrowing with her smirk. “It is nice to see a Dalish woman in such a distinguished position,”

            “I suppose it’s about time,” Ellana mused, allowing herself a half-smile as she glanced at Solas, who stared idly at their interaction, his jaw slightly clenched.

            “To know hardship only improves one’s resolve,” The technician concluded, eyeing the tips of Ellana’s dark red tattoos that peeked out from the edge of her sweater collar. “Which clan are you from, if I may ask?”

            “North of here, in the Free Marches. Clan Lavellan. You were raised in the city, I assume?”

            “You could say that-”

            The sound of an intentional cough from Solas put a halt to the conversation. “In the interest of time,” He began, looking at his watch, “I’d like to finish by getting the lab safety orientation out of the way.” Ellana gave Briala a quick glance and nodded towards Solas who led them back into the main lab and stood near the centre, his hands behind his back. "The safety shower is over there, the acid and base spillkits are over there beside the flammables cabinet, and the eyewash station is there," He said, lazily waving his arms in the general direction of each listed item. "I am under the impression you will not need more in-depth explanations for any of these?"

            "No," Ellana answered, scanning the room, "is that all?"

            "There is one more thing, yes, and it is regarding the red Lyrium,"

            "I can imagine, it seems quite volatile. What should I know about it?"

            "Whatever you do," Solas answered, "do not let it come in direct contact with your skin."


	2. Rete

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After spinning her wheels with failed experiments, Ellana decides to take a step back and examine the cellular effects of Lyrium, and meets some interesting SkyHold employees as she does. Solas' aloof demeanor shows a few cracks; a mysterious red-haired woman appears in the lab.

 

* * *

Hunched over on her elbows at her bench, Ellana plunked her pen down beside her notebook and ran her forefinger and thumb across her thin brows. It had been close to a month since she had started working at SkyHold, and she had already filled over fifty pages of notes with proposed techniques, calculations, initial results and many, many failed experiments. Neutralizing the red Lyrium with various physiological buffers did nothing, nor did adding different blends of growth factors to the brain cells. After enough time, the cells all just died, regardless of how much care she provided for them. The troubleshooting process was frustrating, but at the very least her boss gave her free run of the lab, and Briala was interesting company when she felt like talking. Josephine was friendlier, however, and Ellana had learned much about the charming Antivan and her wealthy family woes - issues the Dalish woman could not even begin to relate to. Despite the few of them working overtime towards a common goal, that goal seemed far from reach. Ellana let out a sigh and looked up. Perhaps it was time to return to the basics, to complete some more in-depth analyses of what was actually happening within the cells. She closed her notebook and left the lab, and thirty seconds later was knocking on Solas' door.

            "Come in," A gentle voice called out, and Ellana entered the tidy office. "Hello," Solas said quietly as he sat up straight, "how can I help you?"

            "Hi Solas," Ellana began timidly, still standing in the doorway, "I've been thinking...maybe I should do some work to examine which proteins the cells are expressing initially, that is, how they may be communicating. I'm hoping it will give me some indication of what sort of compounds they may be sharing among each other, and from there I can-"

            "Of course," Solas interrupted. He turned back towards his computer, pressed a button, and a browser window popped open, covering the default desktop background. "I am assuming you require antibodies. Which ones, and how many?"

            Ellana gaped at him for a second before responding. "Well, I was thinking one of the connexions to start, but they're at least four-hundred dollars each-"

            "That is fine," Solas said, pulling up a purchasing form. "Please email me a list of the other ones you require, and they should be in by tomorrow."

            "O...okay, thank you," Ellana stammered as she began retreating, "I'll start getting the cells prepared now."

            "Ms. Lavellan," Solas called out, just before the door closed. Ellana's stomach sank, but she quietly opened the door a crack and peeked in. "I realize you are doing more than your fair share of work around here, and I wanted to let you know that I am in the process of hiring more scientists, albeit at a slow rate. What with the renovations and securing funding, as well as writing reports, both Josephine and I have our hands mostly full. I promise you won't be burdened quite so much in the somewhat near future," Solas smiled, and Ellana felt some weight release from her shoulders.

            "That's...good to know, thank you Solas," She said, smiling back with a mixture of relief and some amount of newfound geniality. "Also," She continued, opening the door wider, "you can just call me Ellana."

* * *

Two days later, as Ellana waited for the antibodies to finish interacting with the cells, she zig-zagged through the lab and adjacent spaces in an attempt to find the specific type of microscope required for gathering the results of her experiment. To her dismay, there did not seem to be one present, and once again she found herself bothering Solas.

            "Ah, yes, you will be needing the fluorescent scope," He said in response to her concern, "it is kept in the basement, for temperature and humidity control purposes. You need to take the elevator down a level, then go past the hallway beside the boarded up walls, make a left at the fork, turn right near the shipping docks, and...you know what," Solas remarked as he took in the sight of Ellana's wide-eyed stare, "I will just show you. Why don't you pick up your samples from the lab, and I'll meet you back here. Besides, I need a second to get my shoes on."

            The elevator was located just outside the research wing, in the older hallway. A few portraits of important-looking men and women were hung on the wall, and as the two walked past the paintings, Ellana thought one almost looked a bit like a much older version of Solas wearing a silly hat. She fell back a step to allow herself a private chuckle before stopping at the elevator doors, where a thought suddenly spurred into her mind.

            "It occurs to me I don't know much about you, Solas," She said, looking up at his angular profile, "would it be possible if I asked you some questions about yourself?"

            "...Why?" Solas asked slowly, his shoulders tensing as he turned his head towards her.

            "You seem interesting," Ellana chuckled nervously, "you're the head of a cutting-edge research facility, and yet I don't know a thing about you, despite working here for a month. I'd just like to know how you found yourself here."

            "Oh," Solas' posture relaxed slightly as the elevator arrived with a brassy clang. "I apologize. I have had a number of encounters with individuals attempting to gather knowledge on my protocols, so you must excuse me for being skeptical. What would you like to know?"

            "Well, for starters, what's your background in?"

            "I completed an honour's degree with a major in biochemistry, along with a double minor in art history and psychology."

            Ellana's eyebrows crept upwards in genuine surprise as they stepped into the elevator chamber. "That sounds like a lot of work, good for you. I assume you continued in academia afterwards?" She asked.

            "Correct," Solas said, pushing the basement level button. "I completed a PhD in four years, and entered the industry workforce by becoming involved with Lyrium research, and eventually found myself here."

            "Did you take over SkyHold from someone else?"

            Solas opened his mouth, but a second passed before he answered. "Not quite, I had a founding partner, but we no longer share the same goals."

            "What did they decide to do instead?" Ellana asked.

            "I am not certain of their whereabouts any longer, I'm afraid," Solas replied, and gestured for Ellana to enter the lower level of the building. Their footsteps echoed quietly off the poured cement floor, and Ellana could faintly hear the sound of an electric saw coming from another branch of the hallway. "Admittedly, I only heard Josephine's recommendation of you," Solas continued, changing the subject, "you finished your master's degree recently, I take it?"

            "Yes, although I had been working beforehand for a few years before I did. I had a lot of debt after my undergraduate degree. I wanted to do a doctoral degree, too," Ellana added quickly, "but I just couldn't afford it. The cost of living in the city is too much for a student stipend, and knowing the biomedical field, I wouldn't have had time for a part-time job."

            Solas stopped walking and ran his hand along his jaw, his brows furrowed. "May I ask, how _did_ a Dalish woman such as yourself get involved at the University, anyway?"

            Ellana laughed softly. "It's actually a pretty funny story, and not one I'm terribly proud of. My clan, despite trading openly, is still very skeptical, to the point of being superstitious, about city folks and their lives. I was sent to the University to gather as much information as possible about what people had written about the Dalish, and to see if they were hoarding any lost knowledge."

            "That sounds like the Dalish," Solas mused, and Ellana cocked an eyebrow. "Why did they send you, specifically?"

            "The Keeper suggested I was the best option, seeing as I've always had a knack for...less traditional values. It's not as if I was a terrible Dalish," Ellana added, "I helped out with fishing and mending and foraging like everyone else, but all I've ever wanted was to know more about the world. The Keeper taught me the basics, and I read whatever I could get my hands on after she did. It's a good thing clan Lavellan still exchanges goods with most others, as I was able to swap the extra furs and dried herbs I collected on my own time for books. I still had lots of questions about the world, of course," She paused, and focused on a distant point as her face broke into a soft smile. "Sometimes I would joke to my clanmates that the Keeper was sending me away so I'd stop annoying her with my thoughts," She finished with a chuckle.

            "I suppose this story ends with you coming here and never leaving, then?" Solas asked, continuing to slowly walk towards a hallway lined with thick painted bricks.

            "Exactly," Ellana confirmed, following in step. "Finding the money to enroll here took some time, but it gave me the opportunity to catch up on most materials. I can't say it's been easy, but it has been worth it."

            "What does your family think of your choices?"

            Ellana paused, her face falling. "They...didn't seem to care much one way or the other," She replied, her hesitation hanging heavy in the air.

            "I am sorry to hear that," Solas said quietly.

            "What about you?" Ellana asked, "How did you end up here?"

            "I grew up in a small village to the North. There was not much there for a young man with his head perpetually in the clouds, which I believe is something we have in common," Solas said, looking towards Ellana with a smile that she returned with a smirk. "I left at a young age to unravel the mysteries of the universe. A lofty goal, of course, but one that also eventually led me here. I snuck into any lectures I could, but eventually I got caught once a certain professor realized I was never present for exams."

            Ellana let out a puff of laughter that echoed through the halls. "Guerilla erudition? And I thought I was bad," She said. "What happened then?"

            "She took me into her office, sat me down and made me write her final exam. I did quite well, and so she had me do the same for the other classes from which I had been pilfering knowledge."

            "Let me guess, you aced those as well?" Ellana asked placing her hands on her hips.

            The tips of Solas' ears and nose reddened slightly against his ivory skin. "I performed adequately enough that I was encouraged to apply for scholarships. It helped that the faculty member of this particular story vouched for me whenever I found myself in a trying situation."

            "She must have seen your potential, then, and she sounds like a wonderful person to have gone through that much effort on behalf of a student."

            "Yes, she was the best of them," Solas said, his tone suddenly distant.

            "Was?"

            Solas gave his head a small shake. "She retired a few years ago, and moved to a different country. Anyway, here is the room where the microscope is kept. You should have access, and Valta can help get you set up."

            As Solas headed back towards the elevator, Ellana opened the door and entered the subdued lighting of the basement lab. A short woman wearing a serene expression was standing at a custom-made bench, placing vials of Lyrium into a scanning device.

            "Hello, I'm from upstairs, I was told you were the one to talk to about using the fluorescent microscope?" The woman did not respond, and Ellana started to walk closer, preparing to speak at a higher volume.

            "Oh!" The woman said, looking up in surprise and hastily removing an earplug from one ear that had been covered by dark, straight hair. "I'm sorry I didn't see you there. You're from upstairs, right? My name is Valta," She removed a glove and stuck a small hand out that Ellana reached downwards to accept.

            "Nice to meet you. I'm Ellana; I'm just here to use the scope. Do you mind if I ask why you're wearing earplugs?"

            "Not at all! We store the Lyrium for distribution down here, and the sound of it's holding machinery gets to me after a while," Ellana was dumbfounded, there was no noise to be heard as far as she could perceive. Before she could ask, Valta continued. "I know you can't hear it, don't worry. I swear it does exist, I'm just hypersensitive to it is all. Anyway, let me show you where to go," Valta beckoned for Ellana to follow her. As they walked through the spacious, sparse lab, Ellana caught sight of an intriguing looking door. Some kind of woven symbol was imprinted in matte vinyl on the front, and the tiered lock was comprised of three intricate keyholes that had several branches sprouting from each.

            "What's through there?" She asked as they passed it.

            "I'm actually not sure," Valta replied, "only Bianca works in there, and she refuses to talk about it. I think it's something to do with that new project you're working on, though." Ellana hummed in curiosity but said nothing as she continued to follow the small woman to the workspace. "Here it is," Valta said, "turn everything off and replace the cover when you're finished, and feel free to come down here anytime you need it." Ellana thanked her, fired up the fluorescent bulbs, turned off the lights in the tiny room, and began slotting a slide onto the stage.

* * *

            Time passed rapidly as Ellana focused and imaged several different slides, each containing a specific structure that when hit with the correct wavelength, lit up like neon billboards. Several hour passed as she worked, and Valta had already left by the time she replaced the cover and walked out the door. Ellana walked back the same way she and Solas had come, and got to a fork that she couldn't quite recall. She tried going left, and ended up down a completely unfamiliar hall. "Shit," She muttered, stopping and backtracking. After going right instead and then left, she was once again in unknown territory. " _Shit_ , where am I?" She cursed, looking around frantically. The sound of the electric saw was back, but closer, and Ellana followed it to a workshop, hoping to get some directions. Inside, another short woman with red hair was cutting a PVC pipe. Vices were clamped onto several dented and stained plywood-topped benches. Tools, spare parts, nuts and bolts and sheets of metal were scattered throughout the room. A lathe sat in one corner, a milling machine in the other, both of which were slightly obscured by mounds of intricate devices piled on top of each other. The saw turned off and Ellana called out to her.

            "Oh, hello there!" The woman waved and began to remove her goggles. "I haven't seen you before, you must be new. I bet you're lost, huh?" She asked with a giggle.

            "You would be correct," Ellana sighed, too tired to make a witty retort.

            "Yeah that happens a lot. Oh, I'm Dagna by the way, and this is my workshop," She announced. An annoyed-sounding grunt came from within the office nearby. "Okay, well, I share the space with Harritt, but he mostly takes care of lab maintenance repairs. I, on the other hand, am the expert builder and tinkerer. If you need something made, I'm the one to talk to."

            "What do you make, exactly?"

            "Anything you can't buy. Super specialty stuff. You won't find equipment like this anywhere else. Here! Check this out!" Dagna pointed excitedly to an extremely complex looking apparatus. It was made of hoses of varying size, one way valves, overflow containers, cannulas and...

            "Dagna, are those urine sample containers?!" Ellana exclaimed, staring incredulously at the set up.

            "Sure are! Pee cups are great for so many different things, like this set-up that allows you to keep a mouse brain alive outside the body for as long as you need to run an experiment. Plus, they're super cheap!" Ellana nodded slowly, her eyebrows raised and her mouth drawn into a tight line. "Well, I guess it could be prettier," Dagna muttered, putting her grease-blackened hands on her hips. Anyway, here, let me show you how to get out of this place. I'm heading out in a second anyway. It's getting late!"

            As they walked, Dagna pointed out the landmarks she used for orienting herself in the basement, with the hopes that Ellana would find them useful. They parted ways on the first floor, and Ellana walked back towards the lab. Most office lights were already out, including Solas'. As she entered the lab, she ran into Briala, who was on her way home, in the small entranceway between the door and the interior space.

            "Did everything go as expected?" Briala asked, putting on her jacket and brushing her curly hair out of her face before pulling on a toque.

            "Yes," Ellana replied, "the antibodies look good. I'm going to run a gel and transfer the proteins onto a membrane tonight."

            Briala raised her eyebrows. "Can it not wait until tomorrow?" She asked, "You should take a break."

            Ellana sighed. "It's alright, it will only be a few hours, then I can just do the analysis tomorrow." _Not like I have anything better to do,_ she added bitterly in thought.

            "Alright," Briala replied, patting Ellana on the shoulder, "just don't burn yourself out."

* * *

            After she had mixed the first part of the gel, Ellana returned to her office for a quick dinner. Everyone had already left and the halls were silent, but she liked the labs and offices after-hours when they were empty and quiet. There was no-one to have to make idle chatter with, no-one to have to work around and no-one to ask her how progress was going, and for this, she was thankful. A half-hour later, she was back in the lab and finishing the gel. She looked up at the clock, and saw it was just past eight o'clock, which wasn't terrible. She would be done by eleven o'clock at the latest, then she could return home and do nothing but shower and collapse into bed. As soon as she finished this thought, she heard the lab lock click, and the door swing open. For whatever reason, a shiver jolted up her spine, and she snapped into alertness as her heart began to pound. From where she was standing, the person who entered was obscured from view by the shelves above the bench at which she was working, which also meant she was out of sight to them.

            Ellana could hear the person walking quietly about the lab, she heard the shuffling of papers, then footsteps slowly began to approach where she was working. A woman with cropped red hair wearing a violet hooded sweater suddenly appeared around the corner, and froze when she saw Ellana, her intense blue eyes fixed upon the startled scientist. The two looked at each other silently for a few seconds, but before Ellana could say anything, the woman turned on her heel and hastily left the lab. Ellana had never seen the woman before, but she had lab access which meant she was likely an employee from a different branch, which was a comforting thought, but did not mitigate Ellana's unease about the stranger's behaviour. With a shrug, she turned back towards her work.

            As she waited for the proteins to separate on the gel, Ellana sat on a computer chair nearby, flipping idly through various posts on different social media sites as she lazily spun the chair in half turns. Always lurking, never contributing, as was her rule. It was almost ten o'clock now, and her work was nearly complete. Just as she was reading yet another opinion piece, she heard the lab door unlock again. She steeled herself, preparing to confront the mystery woman this time, but the footsteps were louder and quicker and soon came upon where she sat.

            "Maker's balls!" A broad man with a large beard and salt-and-pepper hair tied back in a messy bun exclaimed as he stopped abruptly. Ellana stared wide-eyed up at him. "Ah, I'm sorry," He said, "Didn't expect anyone around here at this time. What're you doing here so late?"

            "I, uh, just running an experiment," Ellana stammered.

            The man relaxed and let out a small laugh. "Don't worry, you're not in any trouble. I just saw the lights on and wondered what was going on in here. You new?"

            "Somewhat," She replied, standing up. "I'm Ellana, I'm one of the scientists working for Solas."

            "I figured as much. Name's Thom," The man said, holding out a badge, "I work nighttime security here. You know you surprised me sitting there, not saying anything."

            "I actually thought you were going to be someone else. A woman came in here earlier, saw me, and then left without a word. It was pretty weird."

            "What did she look like?"

            "Tall-ish, short red hair, blue eyes, wearing a purple sweater."

            "Ah, I believe that was Leliana, our communications officer. Bit odd she was in here, though," Thom said, his gruff voice loud and out of place in the placid environment.

            "Is she always that unfriendly?" Ellana asked.

            "She's, uh, well, she's nice..." Thom muttered, looking at his feet and rotating his wedding band over his ring finger.

            "You afraid of her or something?" Ellana laughed as she folded her arms across her chest.

            Thom chuckled and looked back up. "Not exactly, I'd just rather be on her good side, is all. How much longer you going to be in here?"

            "Another half an hour or so. I think I'm just going to do an overnight step instead of staying here longer."

            "Alright, then I'll come back in half an hour and walk you to your car. Val Royeaux is generally pretty safe, but you never know."

            "Oh, I don't have a car," Ellana said, "I just take the subway. I live right at Grand Cathedral, so it's pretty convenient."

            "Alright, then I'll walk you to the station," Thom said with a nod and a smile.

* * *

            The subway platform was covered in a thin film of salt and dirt, tracked in on the boots of the thousands of people that used the train daily. Right then, however, the number of patrons was far fewer than several hours earlier. Only a few other sleepy-looking late-night workers, cleaners, and the odd vagabond were abound near the tracks. Though nobody had given her trouble for the entirety of her time in Val Royeaux, Ellana still watched those that lived in the city with a sharp eye, her hand always close to her hidden knife. She had been both predator and prey in her life before her life now, and she felt those honed instincts send the occasional shiver up her spine, despite being in a different environment. Those brief jolts were always followed by nostalgic mental snapshots of buzzing forests, dry sunny plains, and hazy distant mountains, and when they made an appearance in her mind, she always forced herself to think of something else, something in her current life. Twenty minutes later, she was pushing open the thick door to her tiny apartment. A thin frameless futon sat in one dark corner of her bedroom. Her kitchen counters were bare, save for the block of wood she used for cutting up meat and vegetables. She had almost no furniture to speak of, only a few mats and pillows strewn about the den. No pictures or paintings, only a few Dalish decorations she had taken with her. Ellana didn't feel the need to turn on any lights. After she showered, she immediately crawled into bed, her hair still wet, and fell into exhausted, dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dagna's creation brought to you by my labmate who completed a master's degree from the data she collected from a set up she made entirely out of pee cups, retort stands, and hope.


End file.
